MAY 10, 1999:
The 1960s were the era of the superthief. The Thomas Crown
Affair, To Catch a Thief, The Pink Panther, Danger: Diabolik.
There was just something about the suave, sophisticated lawbreaker
that captured the public's imagination. Now, of course, we're
more interested in serial killers and drug dealers. To hell with
that, I say. It's time for a return to the superthief era--cool
guys in tuxedoes, hot girls in catsuits, fancy cars, exotic European
locales, dangerous jewel heists. What's not to like?

This summer seems primed for a return to the superthief era, thanks
to the new Sean Connery vehicle Entrapment and the soon-to-be
released remake of The Thomas Crown Affair (starring another
Bond boy, Pierce Brosnan). Both films share a typical superthief
plot--a beautiful female insurance investigator is sent to Europe
to ensnare a mysterious and impeccably dressed cat burglar. Can
romance and thrills be far behind?

Entrapment has the supreme foresight to have cast Sean
Connery in the mysterious cat burglar role and Catherine Zeta-Jones
as the beautiful investigator. Both stars are magnetic screen
personalities and comprise the film's primary entertainment value.
Connery needs no introduction and sports a tailor-made role in
Robert "Mac" MacDougal, a legendary Scottish sneakthief
suspected of having recently boosted a $24 million Rembrandt.
Dark-eyed British newcomer Zeta-Jones made a big impression in
last summer's The Mask of Zorro and has recently been touted
as Hollywood's "next big thing." With Entrapment
she displays a commanding confidence and more than proves
her leading lady worth as Virginia "Gin" Baker, an eager
insurance investigator who's sure she's got the goods on our man
Mac.

The breezy plot of Entrapment doesn't bother much with
supporting characters or subplots. In the blink of an eye, Virginia
is whisked off to Mac's castle in Scotland and coerces the reclusive
robber into burgling a $40 million Chinese mask. The film's central
tension-building conceit is to keep viewers guessing which side
of the law Gin is really on. Is she helping Mac or just setting
him up for the big fall? This allows our two main characters to
engage in a wary dance of trust, mistrust and seduction around
one another.

A good deal has been made lately about older male stars hooking
up with younger female stars. Certainly there's a double standard
at work in Hollywood, and if I see Woody Allen seduce another
twenty-year-old on screen, I'm gonna toss my Milk Duds. Nonetheless,
despite the forty-year gap in the ages of its two stars, it's
hard to chalk up Entrapment as just another unlikely Hollywood
pairing. First of all, the romance between Mac and Gin is never
very overt. Mac is a loner who lives by a strict set of rules--one
of which states that you never get personally involved with your
business partner. Second of all, our protagonists never really
trust each other, so the idea of dropping their guard (or their
drawers) doesn't really seem like a good idea to either of them.
Still, there is a grudging attraction between the two. Any sixtysomething
who failed to be tempted by the lithe form of Catherine Zeta-Jones
would be nuts. Any twentysomething who failed to be intrigued
by the rugged sophistication of Sean Connery would be crazy. In
the end, the chemistry between Connery and Zeta-Jones works well,
as they project the same kind of on-screen charisma and seasoned
sensuality.

Early sequences of the duo gearing up for the big Chinese mask
heist give the filmmakers plenty of opportunity to exploit the
eye candy of their stars. Seeing Connery don a tux again conjures
up the finest of Bondian memories. By the same token, seeing Zeta-Jones
use her considerable gymnastic skills to slither through an obstacle
course of pencil-thin laser beams in a skintight catsuit is an
alluring treat for any viewer.

Later on, our two antiheroes find themselves embroiled in the
requisite Really Big Caper--in this case, robbing a Malaysian
bank of some $8 billion. As could rightfully be expected, there
is a truckload of logic gaps in the plan. The high tech robbery
must be committed on New Year's Eve 1999, ostensibly because that's
when the world's largest bank will be shutting down its computer
systems for 30 seconds to "test" for the millennium
bug. Why the world's largest bank would wait until the last few
seconds of 1999 to test for the millennium bug is never quite
addressed. Nor is it explained how siphoning $8 billion out of
the crumbling Asian economy is expected to go unnoticed. Entrapment
isn't bothered with such petty details, and audiences probably
shouldn't be either.

Concentrate, instead, on the breathless finale in Kuala Lumpur
atop the world's tallest building. Marvel at the cool gadgets
and last second escapes. Ogle the nice clothes, pretty locations
and gorgeous stars. The summer movie season is officially here--enjoy
it while you can.